Cow-milker.



Patented May 29, |900.

W. `l. THATCHER &. N. W. HUSSEY.

C 0 W M l L K E R (Application med Novnada 189e.)

(No Ilodel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

cams Varens co., FHoYourHu. wnsnme.

Hd iljessas No. 650,572. Patented May 29, i900. W. B. THATCHER N.HUSSEY.

COW MILKER.

(Applicatonled Nov. 30, 1898.) 4

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

wams@ me Noam: PETERS cc., PnoYoumo., WASHINGTON, n. c,

UNITED STATES #PATENT Ormes.

WALTER It. THATCHER AND NATHA WV. HUSSEY, OF OSALOOSA, OWA.

cow-Makes.

SPECIFICATION forming parc of Letters Patent No. eso'raaaeed May 29,1900.

yApplication tiled November 30, 189B. Serial No. 697,863. (No model.)

To all whom t 11mg/ concern:

Beit known that we,WAL'rER R. THATCHER and NATHAN W. l'lUssEY, citizensof the United States, residing at Oskaloosa, in the county of Mahaskaand Stateof Iowa, have invented a new and useful Cow-Milker,'of whichthe following is a speciicatiou.

The invention relates to improvements in cow-milkers.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofcow-milkers and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient oneadapted to discharge milk directly into an ordinary milk-can and capableof being readily transferred from one can to another.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and effectiveteat-cup adapted to afford a broad, yielding, and easy surface to a teatand capable of securing a complete air-tight connection with the samewithout closing the teat or in any manner retarding the iiow of themilk.

Furthermore, the invention has for its object to provide an adjustabledevice adapted to be arranged against a cows udder to prevent theteat-cup from being drawn upward too far on the teat.

Another obj ect of the invention is to enable the operator to seewhether the cups are working properly and to enable the device to beeasily cleaned.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combinationand'arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustratedin. the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims heretoappended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cow-milkerconstructed inv accordance with this invention, the lid, or cover of thecan being separated from the body portion matic ring or cushion.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thegures of the drawings.

l designates a detachable cover or lid de signed to be arranged on amilk-can 2, formin gan air-tight connection with the same and carryingan air-pump`8 and a vacuum-gage 1i, as clearly illustrated in Fig. lofthe accompanying drawings. The air-pump 3 has its cylinder extendinginto'tlie cover or lid about one-half of its length, the operatingmechanism being located above the said lid or cover, which is hollow.The lower point of the cylinder extends below the bottom of the lid orcover and projects into the milkcan, so that the air within the same canbe exhausted to create a sufficient vacuum for effecting the milkingoperation. The vacuum-gage is mounted upon the upper end of a short tube5, which extends through the cover or lid into the can, being providedabove the said lid or cover with a valve or stop-cock 6. The gage isadapted to indicate when a sufticient amount of air is exhausted fromthe can by the air-pump, and in the operation of the milker the air isexhaustedfrom the can before the cups are applied to a cow.

The can is provided at one side, near the top, with a stop-cock 7, towhich is attached a flexible tub'e 8, consisting of a rubber hose orother suitable material and designed to be connected with a cows udderfor conducting the milk from the same to the can when the stop-.cock 7is opened. The rubber hose or tube is connected with the udder of thecow by means of four teat-cups 9, which are provided with independentstop-cocks 10.'

The machine'is operated by placing the lid or cover, to which the pumpand gage are attached, upon the can and pressing it down to form anair-tight joint. The operating-lever 1l of the air-pump is thenloscillatedfuntila portion of the air 'in the can is exhausted, whichwill be indicated by the gage. When a proper vacuum has beenobtain'ed,the stopcock at the side of the can is opened and the cows teats areplaced one by one in the teatcups. The stop-cocks of the teat-cups areopen, and the milk will iow through thefcups and hose into the can.

Each teat-cup consists of an inner casing l2 and an outer casing 13,both constructed of rubber, metal, or other suitable material, and theinner casing has its upper end 14 enlarged, forming au annular seat fora pneu- IOG The lower end of the' inner casing is tapered at 17 andreceives and forms a seat fora tapering glasstube 18,

which is adapted to extend into a rubber hose A 19, constituting abranch of the main hose or pipeS. This glass is retained in the innercasing by any suitable means to atord an airtight joint, and whileproviding an efficient connection between the cup and the hose it alsoenables the operator to see when the cup is working properly.

The outer casing, which is cylindrical, is ad justably secured to theinner casing by means of a pin 20 and a longitudinal slot 21, the pinbeing mounted on the inner casing and the slot being formed in the outercasing and having a series of branches or extensions 22, arranged atintervals and adapted to receive the pin, whereby the parts are retainedat the desired adjustment. The adjustable outer'casing is designed to bearranged against the vudder of a cow to prevent a teat from being drawninward too far into the inner casing.. The teat is placed inthe cup, andthe stop-,cock or valve 10 is opened, which causes the teat to be drawninto the opening of the pneumatic ring, making an air-tight joint,without closing the said teat, the outer adj ustable section servin g asa stop to limit such inward movement. After the point of the teat isinserted in the opening of the pneumatic ring or cushion the outsidecasing is adjusted up tothe udder of the cow and secured by engaging thepin with one of the branches or extensions of the slot, which willinsure a proper operation of the device.

The invention has the following advantages: The cow-inilkeris simple,inexpensive,

tion by pressing against the udder of a cow prevent-s the innersectionor cup proper from being drawn too far up on a teat, and the tobeapplied to dierent cans, a pump mounted on theremovable lid or cover forexhausting air Avfrom the can, a vacuum-gage also carried by the lid orcover and communicating with the interior of the can, and a tube havingteat-cups and connected with the stop-cock, the latter being adapted tocontrol the passage of air through the tube, whereby the air in the canmay be exhausted prior to the operation of milking, substantially asdescribed. 2. A cow-inilker provided with a teat-cup comprising an innerteat-receiving section, and an outer section iitting over said innersection and adjustable beyond the teat-receiving end thereof forengagement against the udder ot' the animal, and fastening means forsecuring the outer section in its adjusted positions, substantially asdescribed.

3. A coW-milker provided With a teat-cup comprising an inner section orcup propel'.

having its upper end enlarged to form a seat, a cushioning-ring arrangedwithin the enlarged upper end of the inner section, and au adjustableouter section, substantially as described.

4. A cow-millier provided with a teat-cup comprising an innercasnghaving a tapering lower portion, a transparent tube litted in thelower portion of the inner casing, a cushion arranged at the upper endot the inner casin g, and an adjustable outer casing, substantially asdescribed.

5. A cow-millier provided with a teat-cup having a teat-receivingsection, and a separap-te udder-engaging member adjustable to variablepositions beyond the receiving end of said section, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a cov-millier, the teat-cup consisting of au inner casing and anouter casing adjustable with relation to each other, and a pneumaticring arranged within the outer casin g at one endof the inner casing,and having an inner diameter less than the' diameter of said innercasing, substantially `as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own We have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

VALTER R. THATCHE. NATHAN V. HUSSEY. Witnesses:

C. S. LoNesHoRn, C. M. DIXON.

IOC)

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